Lessons in downsizing.

August 18, 2008

how to eat like an albatross

Even on 12,000 calories a day, Michael Phelps is glad the swimming is over so he can eat whatever he wants. Apparently he’s been hankering for a juicy cheeseburger instead of a pizza and pound of pasta every night.

Here’s what 12,000 calories look like (under Features): cheerfully repellent if you’re not a morning person (a five-egg omelet, three fried-egg sandwiches, grits, French toast, three chocolate-chip pancakes just for breakfast). A local newscaster noted for comparison’s sake what the U.S. female gymnasts eat. It was very depressing, resembling as it did any sensible diet touted in any women’s magazine. Five small meals interspersed throughout the day with highlights being a piece of chicken and snacks of vegetables (and probably eight almonds).

And some Olympians (like swimmer Ryan Lochte) feast on MickeyD’s. Who knew? I thought they only endorsed the stuff. Six-foot-five Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt won the 100-meter dash on a stomach full of chicken nuggets, with one shoe untied. When I eat McDonald’s, I have to lie down for a bit. And the rare times I’m on a treadmill and my shoestrings come undone, I take it as a sign from God that my workout is over (safety first).